Yard Work & Gardening

When I was a young girl my father had a huge backyard garden. I didn’t understand the big appeal of the garden back then, mostly because I had to spend so many weekends in the hot sun helping to pull weeds! My Dad always had a great yield of tomatoes, cucumbers and other delicious greens.

One day last year on a whim, I decided to start my own little vegetable garden. I wanted to do something outdoors so that I would have more of an excuse to enjoy the sunshine instead of staying inside all of the time in front of a computer screen. I knew absolutely nothing about gardening, so I winged it mostly.

I love the beauty that comes with the arrival of spring… the birds chirping, sun shining and freshness in the air. But one thing I dread is the arrival of yard work. Having to drag yard tools around, pull out the lawn mower and apply bug repellent. One of the biggest annoyances is the overgrowth of yard weeds in the grass.

This year, this is the situation I was presented with:

Yikes. The weeds were so high in some places that I had to mow first before trying any sort of weed treatment. I was careful to only mow in the areas that had weeds to avoid spreading seeds in other areas of the lawn. After sweating away in the April sun with the lawn mower, I decided to use a combination of the two following yard weed control products:

Are you finally ready to get serious about getting your lawn greener and healthier? See these basic grass care tips.

I spent years trying to figure out how to get rid of annoying weeds and get a healthy looking grass lawn—now I’m a bit of an agricultural maven. If you’re struggling with your lawn year after year, use these five basic steps to achieving a lush, green, weed-free lawn. You must implement each step with consistency and be patient—with time you’ll see positive results.

1. Understand Your Lawn

The first step to having a green lawn is to understand what makes your lawn tick. Grass is a plant like any other plant. It has roots that need nourishing and support. Understand that your lawn needs three basic things to stay lush and green: water, sun and quality fertilizer. These three elements work together to strengthen your grass roots so that they each blade of grass can thrive. If one of these elements isn’t in the picture, it’s difficult for the lawn to continue to grow healthy and green.

This one worked for us. Keep in mind that the product labeling may be different in certain areas.

I was in desperate need of a fast-acting weed killer, like yesterday. I have family members who are allergic to bee stings. The problem with one variety of weed that was overgrowing on my grass was that it had a white flower that attracted bees everyday. After looking around for an affordable and proven product I gave Spectracide Weed Stop For Lawns a try. I’m glad I did, especially considering that many weed products on the product are hit and miss.

I created a row garden this year with a wide array of veggies, including tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, collard greens, kale, spinach and potatoes. I’ve made the commitment to grow organic, but it can be difficult to maintain a large row garden like mine with all the weeds growing so fast. I looked for an organic weed preventer and I found a product called Preen Organic Vegetable Garden Weed Preventer. I decided to sow it into the soil before planting seeds (it’s also serves a fertilizer).

It’s no wonder why fall is a favorite season for many people. The weather is still somewhat warm, but breezy and the sun is still shining. This is the perfect time to really enjoy your outdoor yard area. Here are some easy fall yard decorating tips that will allow you to transform your yard into an inviting and relaxing space for yourself and your friends.

Outdoor Seating

There is nothing more disappointing than sitting outdoors on a chair that is not comfortable. Invest in Adirondack style chairs for the fall. These chairs are so comfortable that cushions are not really required. Find a chair that has a matching ottoman or pair it with a different foot stool.